Path of the Master
by CaptainPrice
Summary: What makes a great Pokémon Master? Is it his brain? His heart? His ambition? These are some of the thoughts that circle through the head of Ash Ketchum, yet in the midst of this, he has an epiphany. After finishing in the top eight at the Vertress Conference, he realizes he needs to recover the skill he had back in Sinnoh in order to excel in the Kalos League.
1. Revelation

**I know, I'm terrible. I started a new story while I still have many I'm working on. This idea did not leave my head and I thought I would take a crack at it and see where it goes. Depending on the feedback it may stay or get the chop. Either way I hope you enjoy it.**

**Chapter Summary: Ash, Pikachu and Alexa are on their way to Kalos where Ash plans to redeem himself after his loss at the Vertress Conference. On the way there, Alexa asks Ash a question to which he gives her a revelation he had before deciding to go to the Kalos region.**

**Key:**

**Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins**

_**Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions**_

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

The plane was flying through the night sky as it continued for its destination. The passengers were either silently reading whatever book or magazine they had or sleeping. In the middle of the plane was a sixteen year old boy. He gazed out the window into the endless night as he thought about his next goal. While he thought about his goal, his mind drifted back to his past performances in the Pokémon Leagues. His first visit to the Indigo Conference ended with him placing in the top sixteen. Then he reached the top eight in Silver and Ever Grande Conferences. He reached a new milestone by placing in the top four in the Lily of the Valley Conference. Then he dropped back to the top eight in the Vertress Conference. Although those were not terrible finishes, he knew that he had the potential to win but he was never able to reach the level of skill required to do so.

As he continued replaying the memories in his head, a small, yellow rodent jumped from its perch on his shoulder and landed on his lap giving a stretch. The sudden action broke the boy from his thoughts as he looked down at his small companion. He smiled and gently rubbed his partner's head.

"Getting sleepy there buddy?" Ash asked as he rubbed Pikachu's head.

"Pika," Pikachu mumbled as he rubbed his eyes.

"Get some sleep. We need to be ready to start our journey tomorrow."

Pikachu merely nodded as he closed his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep. Ash yawned and stretched in his seat, although carefully to not wake Pikachu. He took his hat off and rested it on top of his bag that sat at his feet. He leaned back in his chair and turned off the light above him just as his temporary companion returned to her seat.

"You're still awake?" Alexa asked a little surprised.

"Yeah, I was just getting ready to hit the sack," Ash replied as he rubbed his eyes.

"That's a good idea. I'd imagine you would want to be wide awake when you start tomorrow."

"Definitely."

Ash yawned again and shifted in his seat once again to get comfortable before closing his eyes and letting sleep claim him.

* * *

For Ash, it only seemed as though he closed his eyes for a minute when he woke up the next morning. He turned his head from the window as the sunlight landed on his eyes. He stretched and looked around the cabin to see passengers starting to wake up from their night's sleep. As he was about to wake up Pikachu he felt some weight on his shoulder and turned to see Alexa's head resting on it. He moved his shoulder a bit and managed to wake her up from the movement.

"Morning," Ash said with a smirk on his face.

"What's with that look?" Alexa asked as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"You got a little something right there."

Ash pointed to the corner of her mouth and Alexa reached up to find what he was pointing at. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she rubbed the drool away and apologized as she noticed the drying stain on his shoulder. Ash waved the apology aside as he put his hat on and lightly poked Pikachu with his finger. Pikachu sat up and yawned as he looked out the window.

"We're almost there buddy," Ash said as he and Pikachu looked out the window. "This time it will be different. This time we will win."

As Ash told Pikachu this, Alexa had eavesdropped on the conversation between the two partners. She knew that Ash thrived for adventure and was not able to sit still in one place long and he wanted to be the best Pokémon Master in the world. She also knew that he was participating in the Kalos League in order to reach that goal, but Ash never delved into detail as to why he wanted to do another league, especially after he received impressive accolades including being offered to be a Frontier Brain for the Kanto Battle Frontier. Alexa asked Ash why he never took up Scott's offer to become a Frontier Brain but she soon found out that Ash still wanted to be a Pokémon Master more than anything and that if he had taken the offer, he would not be able to pursue his dream.

"Hey, Ash, can I ask you something?" Alexa asked.

"Sure," Ash replied as he turned to look at her.

"I know you want to become the world's best Pokémon Master, but is there any reason as to why you want to go through the Kalos League to do it?"

"In order to be a Pokémon Master, you need to test your abilities and the only way to do that is to battle trainers to build the strength of your Pokémon. The Pokémon Leagues for each region have trainers that are all out for one goal to be the best and they will all vary in strength, both veteran and novice."

"I see. Now, I don't want to discourage you at all, but after you told me about your past performances in other conferences, what's to say it won't happen again?"

Ash looked at Alexa for a minute before looking down at Pikachu. He did not say anything as his free hand reached out and made a fist.

"I don't know," Ash admitted. "What I do know though is that the reason I struggled a lot back then was because I kept making stupid and easy mistakes that would come back to haunt me. I don't know how to describe it, but I feel that when I was in Sinnoh I was at the top of my game and then when I went to Unova, things changed for the worse. I was back to square one and just messing everything up."

"Messed everything up how?" Alexa asked.

"Training for sure, but just basic domain knowledge as well. In Sinnoh I used unique strategies to beat all the opponents I came across but when I was in Unova, none of those strategies and techniques stuck with me and I was back to where I was when I started as a trainer, blindly charging into battles with no strategy and using whatever combination of unorthodox attacks and luck I could pull out of my ass."

"I see. I guess I can see what you are saying."

"This time though, I won't make those mistakes and I've already started to get back on track where I was when I left Sinnoh."

Alexa gave Ash a quizzical look as he said that and he started rummaging around in his bag for something. After shifting through the various items inside, a grin spread across Ash's face as he pulled out a notebook and set it on the foldable tray in front of him. Alexa looked at the notebook and tilted her head in curiosity.

"So what's inside that notebook?" Alexa asked.

"This notebook is filled with every strategy and technique that I came up with when I was in Sinnoh," Ash replied as he opened to a random page.

Alexa looked down at the page Ash opened up to and did a quick look through it. As she observed the page, she was impressed with the amount of detail Ash put into it. The pages she saw had rosters of team possibilities that Ash could have and beside each of his Pokémon was a word to show what their job was for the team setup, including their moves and possible combinations to setup another Pokémon in the team or to use as an unorthodox attack and defense. Although the writing looked faded from age, it was still legible and that was all that mattered.

"You put a lot of work into this," Alexa said with a smile.

"I had to. It was the only way I could better myself and actually succeed more," Ash answered as he turned another page. "I found this just before we left and I completely forgot about it. I was kicking myself that I did not take it to Unova, but I can't dwell on that. All that matters is what happens from here on in."

"Well said. Make sure you don't lose that."

"What I am holding now is pretty much a Pokémon trainer's equivalent to the Holy Bible. I'm not letting this thing out of my sight. It is my playbook and it is my baby."

Alexa laughed at Ash's response and unbuckled her seatbelt to use the restroom to clean herself up. She picked up a small kit and made her way to the back of the plane leaving Ash and Pikachu to their thoughts. Ash closed his notebook shut and tucked it back in his pack and folded the tray up. A small ding echoed around the cabin as the intercom came on.

**"Ladies and gentlemen, the captain has turned on the seatbelt sign. Please return to your seats as we will be landing shortly,"** a flight attendant said.

"We're almost there buddy," Ash said to Pikachu as he scratched his head.

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded.

Alexa returned to her seat and placed her kit in her bag and buckled herself back in. Ash's adrenaline was starting to build as the excitement of starting a new adventure filled his being. Deep down, he not only knew it would be different but he could feel it as well. The intercom kicked on again as the captains voice came through.

**"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain. We have just entered Kalos airspace at this time and we will be landing in about five minutes. At this time, the flight attendants will be going through the cabin to collect any remaining trash. Please fasten your seatbelts, fold up your trays and turn off all electronic devices at this time."**

A smile formed on Ash's face. In ten minutes his road to redemption would start and he was more than eager to get off on a good slate. His fingers found the lone Poké Ball he had on his belt. Before he left Kanto, he decided to take one other Pokémon with him instead of just Pikachu like he had countless times before. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Pikachu look at the ball and then back up at him with a smirk.

_"It will be different this time,"_ Ash thought as he looked out the side of the window to see the landmass coming into view. _"No doubt about it."_

* * *

**Well, that's the introduction chapter. Ash is a little OOC, I know, but he is also smart here as well. I hope you enjoyed it. Like I said we'll see where this goes. Feel free to check out my other Pokémon stories if you enjoyed this excerpt of my work. See you next time.**


	2. Welcome to Kalos

**Hey everybody here's the next chapter for your viewing pleasure. I'm still up in the air on whether or not this will stick, so let you opinions be known. I appreciate the support you all have given so far with 8 reviews, 15 alerts and 25 favorites, so thanks a bunch. A lot of questions I got from reviews will be at the end of the chapter so stay posted for that.**

**Chapter Summary: Ash arrives in Kalos and prepares to go and face his first gym a snag keeps him from his task. Instead he opts to do the next best thing he can. Meanwhile in Vanville Town, a mother and daughter prepare for their day.**

**Key:**

**Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins**

_**Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions**_

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

The plane soared down the runway as it landed from its descent and began to gradually slow down as it started to makes its way to the terminal. Inside the plane, Ash, Pikachu and Alexa were more than ready to get out of their seats and stretch their legs after the overnight flight from Kanto. The door to the plane opened and Ash flew from his seat and hurried over to the door, desperate to escape the confines of the cabin and get some fresh air. As he stepped onto the stairs he looked into the sky and took a deep breath. He was finally here and it was time to get to work. He would first find where the nearest gym would be and then he would register for the Kalos League after obtaining his new Pokédex from the region's professor. Ash glanced at Pikachu and saw the determination in his partner's eyes.

"You ready to show Kalos what we're made of, buddy?" Ash asked.

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded enthusiastically.

Ash got to the bottom of the stairs and waited for Alexa to leave the plane. While he was waiting for his companion, Ash noticed a group of shadows on the ground hovering overhead and looked up. He shielded his eyes from the sun to get a better view and a cluster of Pokémon flying in circles. He was so intrigued with the sight of the new Pokémon that he did not notice Alexa walk up behind him with her Helioptile now resting on her shoulder.

"Those are Spritzee," Alexa said as she looked up at the flying Pokémon.

"Cool! What type are they?" Ash replied as he continued to watch them fly.

"Fairy."

Ash's head perked up at that. He never heard of that type before as he always thought there were seventeen types. With that new bit of information, that meant there were now eighteen types and he was interested in what other Fairy-types there were in Kalos.

"I've never heard of that type before," Ash said as he looked to Alexa. "Are Fairy-types only native to the Kalos region?"

"I'm not entirely sure," Alexa replied with a smile. "Maybe Professor Sycamore could shed some light on that."

"Professor Sycamore? He's the professor that hands out the trainer's starters here, right?"

"That's right. His laboratory is actually nearby."

"Sweet. I'll have to be sure to look at that after my first gym battle."

Ash was about to walk off but Alexa stopped him by speaking again.

"Where do you plan on having your first gym battle?" She asked with a curious look on her face.

"Easy," Ash began as he turned around with a smirk. "Your younger sister is a gym leader, right? That's the first one I'm going to!"

"Well, I hate to burst your bubble there but her gym isn't here in Lumiose City. Her gym is in Santalune City."

"Aw, come on, really?"

Alexa had an apologetic look on her face after telling her younger friend that bit of information. Ash crossed his arms as he looked at the ground and let out a sigh. That did lower his mood but not by much. Alexa decided to cheer Ash up after giving him the bad news.

"Hold on, don't get all bent out of shape just yet," Alexa assured as she started walking to the terminal. "I'll go and give her a call right now, so just meet me in the lobby."

"Awesome! Thanks a bunch!" Ash replied.

Ash gave one last look at the group of Spritzee before he started making his way to the building. He started to search for any other new Pokémon as he continued his walk to the terminal. Finding none in front, he turned around and looked back towards the runway. All his eyes could see were multiple flocks of Spritzee flying about. Regardless if he did not see any new ones outside of Spritzee he was bound to see more as he started traveling. As he was about to turn around his eyes fell upon a lone shadow on top of the shade the building was giving. He turned around and looked up to be blinded by the sun. He shielded his eyes enough to see a figure standing on top of the building.

Ash squinted to try and make out the individual but before he could get a clear picture, the figure vanished. His eyes widened in surprise at the speed which helped him draw the conclusion that it was a Pokémon. A whoosh came from above him and a small thump as the Pokémon landed behind him. Ash wheeled around and managed to catch a glimpse of the Pokémon just before it sprung high into the air and vanished again.

_"That thing was fast!"_ Ash thought as he looked at the spot where the Pokémon vanished. "It looked like a Blaziken but at the same time, it wasn't."

He looked at Pikachu who looked just as stunned. Their faces became ecstatic after getting their wish to see another new Pokémon and it was a sight to behold for the pair of them.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Ash cheered.

* * *

Vanville Town was a small, quiet town for families to settle down in. The friendly atmosphere and small population made the neighbors very close to each other. In the center of the town was a small house that belonged to a famous Rhyhorn racer and her only daughter. The mother and daughter were well known throughout the town and well liked. Grace, the mother, retired from Rhyhorn racing to raise her daughter and now spent her free days training her daughter to ride Rhyhorn so she could race them someday. The daughter, Serena, although loved her mother dearly, did not enjoy Rhyhorn racing and found the whole concept dull.

Grace was working on her agenda for the day. She was making breakfast for herself and Serena and then they would go out to the backyard to practice riding Rhyhorn again. Although Grace knew that Serena was not fond of her hobby, she kept making her try it, partially hoping she would gain a newfound like for the sport but what she was really trying to do was get Serena out of the house and start thinking about what she wanted to do with herself. Serena was now fifteen and did not take up the opportunity to get involved with Pokémon for the past five years when she became eligible to become a trainer when she was ten. Grace sighed to herself and looked at the clock. She had gone upstairs to wake Serena almost half an hour ago and she still had yet to come downstairs. Grace clicked her tongue and looked at Fletchling who was sitting on the counter looking at her.

_"I tried waking her up, so now it's time to go to the heavy artillery,"_ Grace thought as she turned to Fletchling. "Fletchling, be a dear and go wake up Serena please."

Fletchling gave a chirp in acknowledgement and began flapping his wings as he took to the air and began to fly upstairs. The tiny bird Pokémon flew up the stairs and came to a stop at a door that was left ajar and landed on the ground. He squeezed through the tiny space left by the door and wiggled his way into the room. He heard some light snores coming from the bed and flew into the air again. His eyes fell on Serena who had rolled onto her back, leaving her forehead exposed for punishment. Fletchling flapped his wings a few times to gain some altitude and folded them in to dive-bomb at Serena. The gap began to close until finally a loud shriek was heard throughout the house. Downstairs, Grace glanced up at the ceiling as she fished an omelet out of the skillet and smirked.

"Good, now we can get this day started," Grace said as she placed the omelet on the plate.

Back upstairs, Serena sat upright after tangling herself in her blankets from flailing around like a fish out of water when Fletchling crashed into her head. She broke free from the covers and glared daggers at Fletchling who was now sitting on the small table in the center of her room. She growled at the little Pokémon before pointing an accusing finger at it.

"I told you a thousand times not to wake me up like that!" Serena yelled.

Fletchling look at her and merely shrugged, angering Serena even more.

"Why you little…" Serena growled out as she dove to strangle the tiny bird.

Fletchling quickly flew into the air and left Serena to do a face plant on the table. He then landed on top of her head and pecked it lightly making Serena growl in frustration. She was about to swipe at Fletchling but was stopped at her mother's voice.

"Serena, time for morning training!" Grace called.

"Fine!" Serena hollered back.

She gave a sigh as she dragged her hand down her face. She stood up and made her way to the window and opened it wide. Fletchling flew out of the window and out of sight to enjoy the day. Serena looked down in the lawn and saw Rhyhorn stretching as he exited the small house that was customized for him.

"Morning, Rhyhorn!" Serena greeted getting a grunt in return.

Serena went over to her mirror and could see that her forehead was turning red after Fletchling slammed into it. She made a mental note to get back at her mother for her nasty method of using Fletchling as an alarm. She gently rubbed her forehead as she made her way downstairs and into the kitchen. Grace greeted her with a smile and it remained on her face as Serena gave her a death glare.

"Morning!" Grace chirped.

"That was totally uncalled for!" Serena sneered as she made her way to the table and sat down.

"That's on you, Schnookums. You didn't get out of bed when I came to wake you up so I took it up a notch."

"So having a bird smash into my forehead with its beak is the next best option? That can seriously hurt me!"

"I think you'll live. Now, eat up!"

Serena pouted and took a bite from her omelet, all the while plotting on how to get back at her mother.

* * *

Ash and Pikachu exited the terminal and entered the airport's lobby. He looked around for Alexa and managed to find her standing near a group of payphones and hurried over to her.

"Hey, Alexa!" Ash hollered as he ran over to her.

Alexa turned just as Ash and Pikachu came to a stop in front of her. By the look of it, they appeared to be very excited about something and she had a pretty good hunch on what it was.

"We just saw an awesome new Pokémon!" Ash grinned.

"Really?" Alexa asked as she tilted her head.

"Yeah, it was really fast. One second it was on the roof and then the next thing we know, it's jumping right over our heads."

"It must have been quite the sight. I wish I could have seen it."

Alexa quickly remembered what she needed to tell Ash and she knew it was going to irritate him a bit.

"Oh, yeah, what did your sister say?" Ash asked.

"Well, I gave her a call and she told me that she was away from the gym now," Alexa said as she crossed her arms and bit her lip.

"Are you kidding me?"

Ash groaned as he gently hit his head against the pillar they were standing by. Now that he was going to be delayed in getting his first gym badge he was definitely a little bummed out. Alexa giggled at Ash's animated reaction as he stood upright and rested his hands on top of his head.

"I don't suppose she told you when she was coming back?" Ash asked.

"When my sister says she's going away for a bit, she's usually gone for a while," Alexa replied.

"Of course she is."

"I know you're bummed out after coming all this way, but maybe you can try channeling that energy into challenging the gym here in Lumiose City?"

"Ah, so there is a gym here!"

"Yep, it's actually inside the Prism Tower in the center of the city."

Alexa walked over to the exit but stopped at a large display that had a map of the city. She spent a moment trying to find the Prism Tower on the map as Ash and Pikachu hurried over to her. Alexa found the tower and then put her finger on the map.

"The tower is right here," Alexa said as she looked at Ash.

"Alright, then that's where I'm going!" Ash said with a nod.

"I guess this is where we say goodbye for now. Are you going to be alright?"

"Yeah, we'll be fine."

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded.

"Alright then. I wish you luck on your battle," Alexa said.

"You've really been a big help. Thanks a lot," Ash replied.

"No worries. It's been fun."

"Definitely."

Ash reached out and shook Alexa's hand before he turned around and started running to the exit. Alexa watched Ash until he rounded the corner and vanished from view. She smiled as she spared a quick glance at Helioptile as he climbed on her shoulder.

"So much energy," Alexa said as she looked back to where Ash disappeared. "Go get them, Ash!"

* * *

Ash ran into the busy crowds after he rounded the corner and gave a whoop of excitement as he started running down the road he saw on the map. Pikachu hopped off his shoulder and started running beside him as they continued their run to the Prism Tower. As the pair of them ran, they took the time to look at the buildings and wandering Pokémon around them. Not only were there new Pokémon but there were also plenty that he had seen before like Ampharos, Medicham even a Raichu. They turned another corner and quickly bolted across the street to see the Prism Tower in all its glory a few blocks away.

"There it is, Pikachu. Our first gym," Ash said as he looked at his partner.

"Pika," Pikachu nodded with a smirk.

"Let's show them what a trainer from Kanto can do!"

"Pi!"

They started running again as they ran down a flight of stairs and followed the main road to the massive landmark. It did not take them long to reach it and neither of them felt remotely winded from their long sprint from the airport. Pikachu quickly climbed on and rested on his shoulder again. They looked at the Prism Tower with awe as they got to see the large tower up close. It was as if the tower was touching the sky and it stretched high above all the buildings in the city.

"Our first gym is inside here, buddy. Let's do this!" Ash grinned.

"Pi!" Pikachu smiled back.

The two partners hurried to the front entrance of the tower and were about to enter the doors but stopped after they ended up colliding headfirst into somebody else. The hit knocked the wind out of Ash as he fell back to the ground in a daze. He looked up and saw another boy in front of him that sat up and rubbed his head. The boy appeared to be taller and older than him. His eyes were green and his hair was brown and hidden under a black baseball hat. The boy stood up and held a hand out to Ash who took it and was pulled to his feet.

"You okay there, dude?" The boy asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that," Ash replied.

"Hey, it's cool."

Pikachu climbed back on top of Ash's shoulder after recovering from the surprise fall after they collided with the other boy. It was at that point that a Raichu suddenly perched itself on the boy's shoulder.

"Cool, you have a Raichu," Ash said as he looked at it.

"Yep. This bottomless pit of a Raichu is my partner," the boy replied with a laugh.

"Nice, Pikachu was my first Pokémon too!"

"Pika!" Pikachu greeted as he looked at the Raichu.

"Rai." Raichu smiled back with a wave.

"I'm Ash Ketchum," Ash said as he introduced himself.

"Tom Sandbourne," Tom replied as he shook Ash's hand.

Ash finished shaking Tom's hand and excused himself to head inside the tower. However, just before he could get inside, Tom stopped him.

"What are you doing?" Tom asked.

"I'm going to challenge this gym for my first badge," Ash answered. "Did you already get it? What type does this gym leader use?"

"Slow down there bro. I didn't battle the gym leader."

"Why?"

"You can't battle him until you have four badges."

"How do you know that?"

"There's a plaque on the wall inside saying that all challengers have to have four badgers before trying. Since I don't have any yet, I left."

Ash found it odd that the gym leader would have a set standard for four badges before accepting a trainer's challenge. He could not recall facing a gym leader that demanded a set amount of badges before battling someone. From his experience it was just a set order from town to town that he did, but he never once saw badge requirements for challenges in the old gyms he faced.

"Really? Is that something new?" Ash asked.

"I have no idea but if it is I am not going to waste my time," Tom replied with a shrug.

"Well, I'm going in to try anyway."

"Dude, it's not going to work. Whenever there's a sign giving you information it's best to follow it."

Ash frowned at Tom's answer. He usually tried regardless of whether or not there were circumstances and sometimes there were some exceptions. He looked at the front door and decided to take Tom's word for it. If he already tried then there was obviously no reason to try himself.

"Man, I can't catch a break today," Ash said.

"What do you mean?" Tom asked.

"I wanted to battle a gym leader today to get a fresh start on my journey here but the first gym leader I know about is away and this one here won't challenge anyone unless they have four badges."

"I hear you."

It was there that something clicked in Ash's head. If he could not battle a gym leader now, then he would do the next best thing. He would have his first battle in Kalos against Tom.

"Wait, I have an idea."

"Okay, let's hear it."

"How about we have a battle to see who's stronger? Your Raichu against my Pikachu?"

Tom blinked and then a smirk came to his face. Ash smirked back as he knew that Tom was going to accept the challenge after he proposed it.

"You're on," Tom said as he motioned for Ash to follow him.

Ash followed Tom over to a set of stairs off towards one of the roads. As they got closer, Ash could see a battlefield open for use. He hurried down the stairs and took his end of the field with Pikachu hurrying inside of it. Tom ran over to his side and got into the trainer's box as Raichu stood in front of him.

"Ready when you are!" Tom said.

"Alright, here we go!" Ash said as he clenched his fist. "Pikachu, use Quick Attack!"

"Raichu, you use Quick Attack too!" Tom barked.

Pikachu and Raichu bolted straight for each other and collided head on. The battle was underway.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter and I hope you all enjoyed it. And as some of you may have noticed, I brought in my OC Tom to act as Ash's first battle, now don't get on my case about this, I know how to use OCs and avoid the dreaded Mary Sue crap. Tom will be acting as Ash's rival until the anime finally shows his new one. Below here are the answers to reviews I received so until next time, I'll see you all later.**

**(Most asked question): What do you plan on doing with Serena/What about Serena's crush on Ash? **

**Answer: I plan to do my own spin on it. She and Ash will meet up eventually.**

**jg13145: On a similar note, have you had a chance to watch XY or play the games?**

**Answer: Yes. I actually answered this in an author's note in Becoming the Master. I have seen all subbed episodes of X and Y so far and I have both games.**

**Elemental-Aura: Will Ash use any past Pokémon that are with Professor Oak?**

**Answer: Yes**


	3. Kickstart My Heart

**Hey everybody, I'm here with the next chapter for Path of the Master so I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you for the continued support, but I don't think this story will continue at this rate. It has quite a bit of favorites and follows but only 3-5 people truly say something out of all those numbers so unless you all can convince me otherwise, I'm giving this story the hook. Heads up, I changed the battling in the story so that Pokémon could learn more than four moves with the cut off being eight. Anyway, hope you enjoy so read and review if you are feeling generous.**

**Chapter Summary: Ash has his first battle in the Kalos region with his newfound rival Tom Sandbourne. However, the excitement is cut short with a surprise intervention.**

**Key:**

**Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins**

_**Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions**_

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

"Pikachu, use Quick Attack!" Ash ordered.

"Raichu, you use Quick Attack too!" Tom countered.

Pikachu crouched down on all fours and then vanished upon taking one step. He was moving so fast that he was just a small, yellow blur. Raichu mimicked Pikachu as he, too, vanished as he started running. The distance between the two blurs was gone and a loud thump was heard. Raichu and Pikachu collided headfirst with each other and bounced off. Raichu shook his head free from the daze and was the first to recover.

"Raichu, use Dig!" Tom shouted.

Raichu jumped into the air and there was a loud crack as he burrowed his way into the ground, leaving a lone hole behind. Pikachu recuperated from his dazed state and his eyes began to dart around the battlefield in hopes to find the smallest bit of movement to pinpoint Raichu. His eyes could pick up no trace of Raichu and he began to get restless. Ash knew that there was no way to tell where Raichu would surface and his mind began to race. He thought back to his notebook and techniques he came up with for each of his Pokémon and then it hit him. There was one trick he came up with for Pikachu that he never tried, but it was worth a shot.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail and touch it to the ground!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu looked back at Ash, somewhat confused at the bizarre order but still went with it. He knew Ash always had a reason behind every command he gave and he always went with his judgment. His tail was covered with the familiar grey metal and then stabbed into the ground. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate and then he saw it. It was faint but he was able to detect Raichu moving straight up towards him from below. He sprung into the air just as Raichu burst from the earth below him. Raichu's eyes widened in surprise after he missed him and Pikachu smirked back.

"Now strike!" Ash hollered.

Pikachu descended back towards Raichu and did a somersault to bring his tail down. There was a loud clang as Pikachu's tail smashed on top of Raichu's head and made him go rigid. He was sent spiraling back to the ground and hit it with a loud thump. Pikachu landed moments later and kept his eyes focused on the dust cloud that was kicked up after Raichu landed.

"Nice job, Pikachu!" Ash praised. "Let's keep up the momentum!"

"Nice move, Ash," Tom complimented. "Weird tactic but it was effective."

"Thanks. Now let's see how you handle this! Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu clenched his fists as he channeled the electricity in his body. He was surrounded in a yellow glow as the energy continued to build and then he released it in the form of a giant bolt. The bolt shot forward and entered the dust cloud, dispersing it. When the dust vanished it revealed Raichu standing up and smirking back at Pikachu.

"Ash, you should know that electric attacks don't do any if little damage against another electric type. The only thing you did was power up Raichu," Tom said as he crossed his arms.

"Oh, I know that." Ash smirked. "It's all part of the plan."

Tom narrowed his eyes in as Ash said that and was wondering what he was planning. He shook his head and gave Raichu his next order.

"Raichu, use Agility!"

Raichu got down on all fours and bolted for Pikachu with incredible speed and he got even faster the closer he got. He started to run in circles around Pikachu leaving afterimages with each step. Pikachu tried to anticipate Raichu's moves as his eyes followed him. He was not able to time the hit and he could not tell whether or not he was targeting the real Raichu.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail, now!" Ash ordered.

Pikachu's tail was covered in the strong iron once again and his eyes landed on Raichu. He timed his attack and then gave the strongest swing that he could in the spot where Raichu would be. His tail cut straight through thin air and Raichu had vanished on the turn of his heel. Pikachu quick spun around as he knew what was coming next.

"Thunder Punch!" Tom shouted.

Raichu's clenched paw was glowing a bright yellow as it crackled with electricity. He brought it forward as hard as he could and it sunk into Pikachu's stomach. A loud clap of thunder echoed around the arena as the electricity was released in the force of the punch. Pikachu felt the air leave his lungs and he was sent airborne. Raichu's assault did not stop as he jumped up to intercept Pikachu again.

"Now use Iron Tail!" Tom barked.

"Pikachu, counter with Iron Tail!" Ash yelled.

Raichu and Pikachu both coated their tails in the strong metal and swung as hard as they could. There was a loud clang as the two metals hit each other with Pikachu and Raichu applying as much force as they could to overpower the other. They landed on the ground and continued their deadlock as their tails pushed back and forth and neither of them showed any signs of letting up. Raichu began to overpower Pikachu and was beginning to push him to the ground and a smirk came across his face.

"Pikachu, charge Electro Ball!" Ash hollered.

Pikachu nodded and used all the strength he could muster to push himself off the ground and keep Raichu back. He started to divert all the electricity he could to his tail and a small ball of electricity started to generate on it. The ball continued to grow and grow and then it started to rotate around the tail as it was still covered in iron.

"Now swing!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu got back to his feet and ducked inside of Raichu's guard and gave a hard swing. Unfortunately for Pikachu, Raichu's tail was longer and was able to block his attack after he retracted it a bit. However, this did not work as the Electro Ball that circled Pikachu's Iron Tail hit Raichu's iron coated tail. Raichu gave a surprised cry and reeled back as the electricity did more damage than normal, only to be met with a follow-up strike from the electric infused Iron Tail to the face. Raichu staggered back after being stunned from the counterattack and it left him wide open for punishment.

"Double Edge!" Ash called out.

Pikachu took the opening Raichu left and lunged at him with his shoulder and head down. Raichu hunched over as he felt the air leave his lungs as he was sent flying back. He hit the ground and rolled a few feet away as a result of the attack. As he struggled to get back up, Ash wasted no time and gave his next command.

"Use Thunderbolt!" Ash shouted.

Pikachu stored the electricity in his body and released it in one massive bolt. The bolt of electricity shot forward and hit Raichu once again. Like before, it did not show to have some if not any effect. When his attack ended, Raichu was back on his feet once again and he glared back at Pikachu before giving a smirk.

"Raichu, use Volt Tackle!" Tom hollered.

"Pikachu, you use Volt Tackle right back!" Ash countered.

Raichu and Pikachu crouched down on all fours once again and stared each other down. Their intense looks met and they started running at each other. As they ran, their bodies became surrounded by a bright yellow light as the electricity kept on building. The two of them closed the distance fast and both Volt Tackles met. There was a blinding flash of light and then a thunderous boom filled the area. The blast of the two attacks created a large cloud of smoke and a gust of wind from the energy output. Tom and Ash shielded their eyes as they tried to see who won the encounter. The smoke cleared and revealed Raichu and Pikachu lying on the ground but Raichu was standing up first.

Raichu stared down at Pikachu and the smirk was once again present on his face. Pikachu looked up at him with a glare as he tried to stand up. Raichu had been filled with a lot of electricity after Pikachu energized him with a few Thunderbolts, the Electro Ball and the Volt Tackle and he was more than eager to hit him back with just as much force.

"Raichu, end it with Thunder Punch!" Tom shouted.

Raichu's paw formed into a fist and his smirk grew wider as he looked down at Pikachu. His fist crackled with electricity as he prepared to punch Pikachu with all the energy he stored. As he wound his arm back, Ash made his move.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash yelled.

Pikachu bolted to his feet and covered his tail in iron as he swung up at Raichu. His tail intercepted Raichu's Thunder Punch, stopping it in its tracks. Raichu's eyes widened briefly from the surprise deflection but that did not stop him. He pushed Pikachu off and swung at him again, only for Pikachu to duck under the punch and swing up with his tail again. This time, his aim was true. His tail hit Raichu directly under the chin and immediately ended his attack. Raichu went stiff as a board and fell to his back. Seconds ticked by and when Raichu failed to stand, Pikachu dropped his guard and crossed his arms with a smirk.

"Alright, we did it!" Ash cheered.

* * *

Tom smiled and nodded as he walked to the center of the field and helped Raichu sit up. He gently rubbed his partner's head and thanked him for doing his best in the battle. Raichu and Tom looked up at Ash and Pikachu as they came over to them after sharing a high-five.

"That was an awesome battle, Tom," Ash said as he extended his hand. "You and your Raichu are very strong.

"Thanks," Tom replied as he shook Ash's hand. "Your Pikachu is well trained. I'm sure you'll breeze through Kalos if you keep that up."

"Thanks."

"I just had one question though."

"Sure."

"When I told you the electric attacks wouldn't work and you said that it was all part of the plan. What did you mean?"

Ash crossed his arms and then smirked as he looked at Tom.

"It was an old trick I used on my rival Paul from Sinnoh. His Elekid at the time tried to hit us with Thunder Punch but we countered back with Iron Tail because it was quick and easy to score a hit. By giving your Raichu electricity, it made you overconfident to end it after it was charged up and then by using Thunder Punch it lowered Raichu's guard and then Pikachu's Iron Tail attack was able to get a hit because it was close," Ash explained.

Tom blinked and then laughed as he stood up.

"Nice trick. I'll have to keep that in mind for next time," Tom replied.

Ash was about to say something back but was stopped when he saw something move out of the corner of his eye. It appeared to be a small, square cube but it soon expanded into a large blue net. Ash and Tom jumped away just in time to avoid being trapped inside and turned to the culprits who threw it at them.

"So close," said Jessie said as she crossed her arms.

"Don't worry, this next one will work!" James replied as he plucked another cube from his pocket.

"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Ash retorted as he glared at them.

Pikachu hopped up on Ash's shoulder and glared at the Rocket Trio. He was ready to send them off like they had done so many times before. Tom and his Raichu stood beside Ash and looked between him and Team Rocket in curiosity.

"Who are these clowns?" Tom asked.

"They're a group of criminals that keep trying to steal my Pikachu," Ash replied as his fists clenched. "They haven't succeeded yet and I intend to keep it that way."

"Alright, then let's take these jokers down."

"I couldn't agree more. Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

"Raichu, you use Thunderbolt too!"

Pikachu and Raichu stood in front of Ash and Tom and grabbed each other's paws. The pair of them began to charge up the electricity flowing through them and focused their gaze on the Rocket Trio. Pikachu and Raichu each gave a loud cry as they released the giant bolt of lightning at them. Then something unexpected happened. Jessie's Wobbuffet jumped in front of the trio and Jessie had a triumphant smirk on her face.

"Wobbuffet, it's your time to shine!" Jessie said.

Wobbuffet's body started to glow different colors just as the bolt of electricity hit him. What happened next threw Tom and Ash for a loop. The joint attack of Pikachu and Raichu hit Wobbuffet's chest but it then rebounded and went straight back to them. Raichu had quickly grabbed Pikachu and threw him out of the way just in time to avoid getting hit. However, in favor of throwing Pikachu out of harm's way, Raichu took the full blast of the attack and let out a loud cry of pain as he was launched back.

"Raichu!" Tom cried as he caught Raichu in his arms.

Ash and Pikachu were stunned at Raichu's selfless act to protect Pikachu and glared back at Team Rocket. They had now inadvertently caused harm to his newfound rival's Pokémon and that infuriated him. He clenched his fists as they shook with rage.

"Too bad we didn't hit both on that one, but it does not matter. We will take both of them once we subdue Pikachu," Jessie said with a shrug.

"I won't let you do that!" Ash stated as Pikachu growled at Team Rocket. "Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

Pikachu leaped into the air and a large ball of electricity started to generate off of his tail. It continued to grow until it was just about his size before he did a somersault and sent it at Wobbuffet. Just like before, Wobbuffet glowed a bit just as the ball of electricity hit him. The Mirror Coat reflected the Electro Ball and sent it back to Pikachu who had no way of dodging it. Just as the ball was about to hit Pikachu, another Pokémon jumped in front of him to take the hit. There was a loud bang as the attack hit the Pokémon and destroyed the white mask it was wearing. Pikachu and the new Pokémon fell to the ground and glared at Team Rocket. The new Pokémon looked like some sort of frog and it did not look happy.

_"What Pokémon is that?"_ Ash wondered as he looked at it.

The Pokémon took a step towards Team Rocket and sunk to a knee as it tried to deal with the pain from the rebound attack.

"Froakie!" The Pokémon called out.

The Pokémon, now revealed to be Froakie, jumped into the air as he reached for the white bubbles from his back and pulled out two handfuls of them. He wound his arms back and sent them at Team Rocket and smirked as he met his mark. The bubbles hit Wobbuffet in the face and blinded him and then glued the trio's feet to the ground. That was all Ash needed to take control of the fight and send Team Rocket on their way.

"Raichu hang in there and use Dig!" Tom said.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash yelled.

Raichu dove into the thick ground and began to tunnel his way towards Team Rocket as Pikachu started to store power to release his attack. The ground under Team Rocket caved in and then Raichu burst from it and sent them high into the air. Pikachu finished storing his energy and jumped up high with Froakie beside him conjuring a rotating ball of water between his paws. Pikachu unleashed the electricity he generated in the form of a large lightning bolt and Froakie threw his ball of water at the bolt. The two attacks soared at Team Rocket and hit them head on. A loud boom echoed around the area and a thick cloud of smoke formed where the attack hit Team Rocket. The trio was sent high into the sky and out of sight, allowing Ash and Tom to finally lower their guard.

"Alright, one less problem to deal with," Ash said.

"No kidding," Tom replied as he scooped up Raichu. "I need to get Raichu to the Pokémon Center.

Ash nodded and looked down at Froakie who was trying to walk away but was unable to continue. He fell to the ground and was unable to summon any strength to push himself up. Ash hurried over and picked up Froakie who cracked his eyes open to look up at him.

"He's really banged up," Ash said as he looked back at Tom. "Where's the closest Pokémon Center?"

"On the other side of the city," Tom replied. "Our best bet is to go to Professor Sycamore's lab down the road here."

"Let's go then!"

Ash began to run as fast as he could in the direction of Sycamore's lab which Tom pointed out seconds ago. Tom followed close behind as he carried Raichu and Pikachu ran beside Ash, sending concerned glances up at Froakie.

"Hang in there, Froakie. You're going to be okay," Ash said as he dashed down the sidewalk.

* * *

Grace stood on the other side of the fence as she watched Serena attempting to ride Rhyhorn successfully. Serena was gripping the reins so tight that her knuckles turned white from stress. She would let out a cry each time Rhyhorn bucked or did a sharp turn to start running in the opposite direction. Grace shook her head as she leaned on the fence.

"Serena, you need to keep your mouth closed or else you can swallow a bug or bite your tongue!" Grace warned. "Remember, you have to think like a Rhyhorn!"

"Easier said than done, professor!" Serena cried out.

"I've competed in Rhyhorn races around the world and you can to! Just stay with it! Be one with Rhyhorn!"

Rhyhorn gave a hard buck and catapulted Serena forward. Serena gave a surprised scream as she landed face first on the ground and slid to a stop a few feet away. Grace's face scrunched up and she looked down knowing that had to hurt.

"Oofta," Grace muttered under her breath as she rested her hands on her hips.

Serena coughed and spat out whatever dirt got in her mouth after she hit the ground. She sent a glare at her mother as she sat up.

"Mom, I hate this!" Serena yelled.

"Again," Grace said as she leaned on the fence.

Serena growled and cursed under her breath as she stomped back over to Rhyhorn. She gripped the reins again and swung her leg over Rhyhorn's back but she inadvertently tapped his side before she was completely on. Rhyhorn took off once again and Serena slipped. Serena screamed as she held on the reins for dear life as Rhyhorn dragged her around the pen.

"Crap!" Serena screamed out as Rhyhorn dragged her along.

"This is going to be a long day," Grace said as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

* * *

**Well, that's the chapter everybody. Like I said, I'm probably going to give this story the boot as I'd rather not write for just a few people to say something. It's one thing to follow and favorite a story but it doesn't help me with my true goal by seeing how you all are enjoying the story via review. See what I mean? Anyway, we'll see where it goes from here but if you want to check out some of my other works, feel free to check out my profile. Thanks a bunch and I'll see you all later.-Captain**

**FAQR: (Frequently asked questions in reviews)**

**Q: Where are Bonnie and Clement?**

**A: I don't want to follow the anime directly because in all honesty I don't want to copy it and I originally wanted to bring Brock back as Ash's companion again. Bonnie and Clement will come in eventually.**

**PsychicAuraKing123: ****Q:Will Ash get 1st in the league and will he get a Legendary and will his pokemon get better moves? **

**A: What's the point in reading if you just want me to spoil it for you man? In the order you asked, not telling. I will not give him a legendary as it would go against all Ash would stand for as a trainer by using Pokémon he trained from the ground up and if he were to use a legendary there would be no point as it would sweep everyone he came across. Yes, his Pokémon will learn better moves.**


	4. Blinded by Science

**Hey everybody, I'm back with an update for the story here. I decided to continue it, so I hope you all are happy for that. Anyway, thanks again for the continued support and I hope this chapter keeps you all happy. So sit back and enjoy the read and feel free to review if you are feeling generous.**

**Chapter Summary: Ash rushes Froakie to Professor Sycamore's lab where he learns a bit of Froakie's backstory and he is introduced to concept known as Mega-Evolution. **

**Key:**

**Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins**

_**Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions**_

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

Ash had run far ahead of Tom after he pointed him in the direction of Professor Sycamore's lab. He had to get Froakie immediate help after he willingly took the reflected hit of Pikachu's attack to protect him. As he hurried down the road, Ash would send glance down at the unconscious Pokémon in his arms. He and Pikachu continued their fast paced weaving through the crowds, occasionally shoving someone out of the way.

"Coming through!" Ash hollered as he ran between two people.

"Watch it!" A man yelled.

Ash ignored the comment and continued down the road. Halfway down the block he was on, he could see a large looking building off the left with an iron gate in front of it. His legs seemed to gain more ground with each step he took and it was not long before he was at the front doors to the building. He burst through the doors like a hurricane only to collide hard with somebody and stumble back from the hit.

"I'm sorry!" Ash replied as he looked down at the person he hit.

"It's fine, no one got hurt," the boy replied as he stood up.

Ash looked into the boy's eyes and for a reason he could not understand, he felt as though he would not like him. The boy's eyes were a piercing blue and his hair was jet black and messy. The boy looked down at Froakie as he was cradled in Ash's arms and his eyes narrowed for a moment. He looked back up at Ash and crossed his arms.

"Where did you find that Froakie?" The boy asked.

"He just came out of nowhere and took an attack for my Pikachu," Ash replied. "Why?"

"Because that Froakie is mine."

Ash's head snapped up as he heard that and he looked at the trainer with surprise. He did not think that the Froakie he was holding belonged to anybody, but now that he found Froakie's owner, he was ready to hand him back.

"Well, we need to get Froakie some medical attention now. He's hurt pretty bad!" Ash said as he tried to hand Froakie over.

Ash was surprised yet again as the trainer took a step away and glared at him and Froakie. Not only was Ash confused at the trainer's action but he was also starting to get angry with the boy. If he was Froakie's trainer like he claimed, then why did he refuse to take Froakie and get him some treatment? He saw the boy send a cold look at Froakie and from the corner of his eye he could see Froakie sending a look of his own in return.

"You take him," the boy said as he moved around Ash and started walking down the sidewalk.

"Hey, get back here! He's your Pokémon and it's your job to help him!" Ash shouted as he turned around.

"I'll tell you what. When Froakie stops being stubborn and listens to me, maybe I'll take him off your hands."

"What'd you say?"

The boy did not reply as he turned down the sidewalk and vanished from view. If Ash was not currently holding Froakie, he would have chased the boy down and given him a piece of his mind. It infuriated him that a trainer could be so selfish and cold towards a Pokémon just because it did not listen to him. Respect was not given, it was earned and obviously the boy had failed to get Froakie's respect.

"What a piece of…" Ash began but stopped when footsteps came from behind him.

Ash turned around again and came face to face with a man wearing a lab coat. The man himself was fairly tall. He had dark hair and grey eyes to go with his pale complexion. Maybe this man knew where Professor Sycamore was and could help him with Froakie.

"Froakie!" The man said as he took Froakie from Ash's arms. "Sophie, get in here!"

A woman wearing a lab coat with glasses entered seconds later and hurried over to the man. She took Froakie from him and ran down the hall and out of sight. The man turned back to Ash and saw as his gaze was still fixed on where Froakie was taken. A small smile came to his lips when he saw the concerned look on his face.

"Don't worry about Froakie, Sophie is the best at what she does," the man said. "Froakie will be feeling like a million bucks in a bit."

"That's good," Ash said as he looked at the man. "I'm assuming that you are Professor Sycamore?"

"That's right. Now, who are you? I'd like to know the name of the kid that rescued Froakie."

"I'm Ash Ketchum. I got here today from the Kanto region and I plan on competing in the Kalos League."

Professor Sycamore nodded and raised his hand for Ash to shake and he did so. He took note of the strong grip that he had and could tell that the boy in front of him carried himself with confidence and had a massive amount of potential.

"So, what's the deal with that Froakie and what about his trainer?" Ash asked.

"Ah, well, Froakie has been known for not listening to its trainer in battle and would sometimes run away simply because he did not like them," Sycamore replied. "His trainer just left and said he wanted to give up Froakie."

"Well, I just met that kid a minute ago. I can't believe he'd just give up Froakie and neglect his health just because he didn't listen to him. If a trainer gives up their first Pokémon just because it doesn't listen to them, they shouldn't be trainers at all. I mean, me and Pikachu here didn't get along at all at first, but we built a bond after I tried to save him from some Spearow."

Professor Sycamore crossed his arms as he mulled over Ash's words. He respected Ash's opinion of trainers that quit because something did not work out for them and he could not help but agree a bit. He beckoned for Ash to follow him down the hall and the two of them started walking. As they traversed the hall, Ash looked at the décor. There were some photographs of Sycamore along with his staff hanging on the wall and there were some bookcases filled with endless books of knowledge. They turned right and continued down another hall until they came to a larger room that had computers and machines for research. There was a small room off to the right with a window to look inside.

Ash and Sycamore went to the window to see Sophie pressing some buttons to turn on the recovery unit. Three separate hoses descended from the ceiling and inserted themselves into a small dome that covered Froakie and started to spray some orange substance on him. Froakie's wounds began to recede as the spray continued to hit him.

"Looks like Froakie's going to be just fine," Sycamore said with a smile. "It's good you got him here when you did."

"Definitely," Ash said with a nod.

"Ash, I want to show you something. Follow me over to the scanner."

"I'll be there in a second."

* * *

Sycamore nodded as he started to walk over to the other side of the room. Ash opened the door to the recovery room and nodded at Sophie as she let him pass. He and Pikachu stood over the dome and looked down at Froakie who was starting to regain consciousness. The two of them smiled down at Froakie as they saw him starting to recover.

"Hey Froakie, we just wanted to thank you for the save back there with Team Rocket," Ash said as he rested his hand on the glass.

Froakie used whatever strength he could to wave his hand in trying to dismiss the thanks. Obviously he was very humble about it.

"For the record, your trainer is an idiot," Ash continued. "Anyone who would give up a Pokémon like you isn't too bright. I mean, look what you did. You took an attack that had the advantage over you and it was doubled in power from the reflection and you still managed to fight. If that doesn't scream potential, I don't know what does."

Froakie gave a light nod as his eyes closed again. Ash and Pikachu thanked Froakie one more time and left the room. They spotted Sycamore standing over by the scanner with a Garchomp standing on it. Once Ash got to the scanner, Sycamore turned around and smiled again.

"How's Froakie doing?" Sycamore asked.

"He's doing great. He'll be back up in no time," Ash replied.

"That's great. Now, let me ask you something."

"Let's hear it."

"Since you are a veteran trainer, I trust you know that when Pokémon evolve they can either have a second or third stage evolution, right?"

"Yeah, to my knowledge the maximum evolution chain for a Pokémon has been three. Unless you count Eevee who can evolve into seven different types, maybe even more."

"I see you are quite intelligent with the concept. Now, what if I was to tell you that there may be an additional evolutionary stage for some Pokémon?"

Ash's eyes widened briefly at that bit of information. A fourth stage evolution was unheard of, but Sycamore was saying that it was possible. He then glanced at Garchomp who was being scanned and then to the computer that was showing very complex diagrams.

"So you're telling me that a Pokémon like Garchomp can still evolve?" Ash asked as he crossed his arms.

"It's possible. That's what my research suggests. I became fascinated with the theory after reading some reports of Pokémon evolving in a way that I refer to as Mega-Evolution," Sycamore replied as he looked at Garchomp.

"Mega-Evolution?"

"A lot of the mechanics are still a mystery, but my staff and I believe that a special bond with a trainer and Pokémon, along with a special stone, may play a crucial role in evolving to the fourth stage."

To say Ash was fascinated was an understatement. He was now very intrigued with the theory and crossed his arms as he thought about it. His thoughts then drifted back to earlier that day when he was at the airport and that Pokémon he and Pikachu saw. It looked like a Blaziken, but at the same time it wasn't. Was that possibly the fourth stage of Blaziken's evolution line?

"Mega-Evolution, huh?" Ash pondered aloud.

"What's more is that the Pokémon is able to revert back to its third stage after it evolves this way," Sycamore continued with excitement.

"Seriously? The Pokémon can revert back to the third form afterwards? Why does that happen? When Pokémon evolve they stay that way. Why is it they can suddenly go back to their previous form?"

"I'm not sure, but that's why I am researching it. I want to know all there is about Mega-Evolution and the only way to do that is to observe it for myself."

As Ash and Sycamore continued their conversation about Mega-Evolution, they were unaware of the eavesdroppers. The Team Rocket trio, having recovered from the setback they had earlier had overheard everything that Ash and Sycamore discussed. The three of them were looking at each other with smirks.

"Mega-Evolution? Think about the Pokémon we could capture and have at our disposal. The boss would love to have that kind of power!" Meowth whispered.

"No kidding. What's more is that there is a Garchomp here and if what that professor said was true, it can still evolve!" James said.

"Okay, here's the plan…" Jessie whispered.

* * *

The Team Rocket trio came up with a plan to capture Garchomp and get him to evolve to the next stage. In order for their plan to work, they disguised themselves as researchers to blend in and not draw attention. Once they were ready to go through with their plan, they reentered the lab and ended up meeting with two of Sycamore's staff members who were walking down the hall with Garchomp.

"May I ask who you three are?" Sophie asked as she looked at the three of them.

"We are researchers that were hired to help with the process of Mega-Evolution," Jessie replied.

"Really? That's interesting, I wasn't aware that Professor Sycamore hired more staff."

"I'll go check with the professor," the other assistant said as she went down the hall.

When the assistant left, the disguised trio decided to make their move. James fumbled in his pocket for the device they were going to use in hopes to force Garchomp to evolve. It was there where the trio was met with a small surprise. Froakie had suddenly appeared beside Garchomp and he was glaring at them. He pointed a finger at them and was shouting at them angrily to which Garchomp started to growl as well. Obviously Froakie told Garchomp that he recognized them and their cover was now blown. Acting quickly, Jessie pulled Sophie off to the side, all the while maintaining her cover. James pulled out the device his fingers were touching and he tossed it at Froakie.

Froakie was more than ready to dodge the device, but was surprised when Garchomp got in front of him and the device landed on his neck. The moment the device landed on Garchomp, it extended and wrapped around him like a collar and Garchomp gave a roar of pain.

"Garchomp!" Sophie cried out as she broke from Jessie's hold.

James fished out a handheld device from his pocket and clicked a button to allow a holographic screen to appear. His fingers started swiping on the screen as he tried to force Garchomp to evolve.

"Garchomp, we insist you come along for the ride!" James said.

Froakie jumped up on Garchomp and tried to smash the collar but the shocks that were coming from it blasted him back. Garchomp gave another cry of pain as the shocking sensation was becoming unbearable. His cries echoed throughout the lab and ended up drawing the attention of Ash, Pikachu, Sycamore and the staff. They all appeared seconds later to see him unleash a Hyper Beam across the wall.

"What's going on here?" Sycamore asked.

"Professor, those three did this!" Sophie said as she glared at the tree before her.

"Alright, who are you?"

The trio ditched their disguises and revealed themselves. Ash and Pikachu glared at the Team Rocket trio when they revealed themselves.

"You three again?" Ash growled.

"Who are they?" Sycamore asked.

"Team Rocket. They're a group of criminals that try to steal everybody's Pokémon!"

Jessie laughed as Ash said that and smirked.

"Try? We succeed!" Jessie retorted.

Ash pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed as he heard that.

"Alright, let me just stop you right there. You don't succeed. If you did, you would have captured Pikachu long ago and we wouldn't keep having these stupid meetings," Ash said. "The funny thing is you probably could have been more successful if you didn't waste your time on me."

"Be quiet you little brat!" Meowth sneered.

"Truth hurts, doesn't it?"

"Well, today we succeed! We managed to get control of Garchomp!" James smirked.

No sooner had he said that when Garchomp turned to them and opened his mouth wide. A purple beam shot out and went straight for the trio. They had no time to react as the beam hit them and sent them blasting through the roof and into the sky.

"Garchomp, are you okay?" Ash asked as he took a step forward.

Garchomp's attention then turned to Ash. He opened his mouth again and started to charge another Hyper Beam.

"Get down!" Ash shouted as he pulled Sycamore and Sophie to the ground.

The Hyper Beam hit the wall and swept over their heads. A loud boom filled the room as the beam exploded with energy and destroyed part of the wall.

"Everyone okay?" Ash asked.

"Look at Garchomp's neck!" Sophie said as she pointed at him.

Ash looked to where Sophie was pointing and could see a square like device on Garchomp's throat with a red ring wrapped around his neck.

"Is that a collar?" Sycamore asked as he sat up.

"Yeah, Team Rocket tried to throw that thing at Froakie but Garchomp moved in front and took the hit instead," Sophie replied as she got to her feet.

Garchomp stumbled towards the door and gave another growl as the collar continued to hurt him. He crouched down sprung high into the air, bursting through the wall above the doors to the lab. Garchomp soared across the street and hit another building causing some of the wall to cave in. He landed on the road and started running down it, all the while howling in pain and smashing into parked cars.

"Pikachu, on me!" Ash ordered as he got to his feet and hurried to the door. "We need to stop Garchomp!"

"Be careful, Ash!" Sycamore called out.

As Ash was about to open the door, Froakie stood in front of him and had a determined look on his face.

"What is it?" Ash asked.

"Fro!" Froakie shouted.

"Alright, let's go then!"

Ash opened the doors and dashed outside with Pikachu and Froakie beside him. As he ran onto the sidewalk to head after Garchomp, he saw Tom hurrying up to him as well.

"Ash, what the hell happened?" Tom asked as he and Raichu came to a stop.

"Team Rocket came and put some type of collar on Garchomp and now he's on a rampage," Ash replied.

"Are you trying to stop him?"

"Yeah, you in?"

"Definitely, but there's no way we can catch him on foot with the rush hour traffic."

"Then what do you suggest?"

Tom pulled out a Poké Ball from his hip and enlarged it before he threw it into the air. The ball opened with a snap and Pokémon began to take shape in front of them. When the glow vanished, a Dragonite stood tall and proud in its place.

"We fly," Tom said as he hopped on.

"Good idea, but I have a different suggestion," Ash replied.

"Let me hear it."

"Take Dragonite and help the police get the warning out about Garchomp. I'll cut down the side streets to avoid the traffic and find Garchomp."

"Sounds good. I'll meet up with you later!"

With that, Dragonite's wings spread wide and he shot into the sky with great speed creating a strong gust in the process. Ash looked down at Pikachu and Froakie and nodded as he started running towards the neighboring alley.

* * *

Grace was sitting in the living room with a cup of tea. She took a sip as she thumbed through the channels to find something to watch. While she was doing that, Serena was digging through the fridge for something to drink. The two of them decided to call it a day after Serena ended up getting dragged around the pen by Rhyhorn to allow her to clean herself up and rest. Serena had given Grace the silent treatment as she was still miffed at her for making her ride Rhyhorn again. She could hear the channels changing behind her and sighed.

"Come on, Mom! Just pick something!" Serena said as she tried to decide what to drink.

"Serena, you know as well as I do that daytime television is boring and that everything good comes on late," Grace replied.

"Whatever."

Grace turned to the next channel but the show was suddenly replaced with the news. She took another sip of tea as she suddenly became interested with the breaking news story. As she was waiting for the station to start the broadcast, the doorbell rang.

"Serena, can you get the door?" Grace asked.

"Sure," Serena replied as she hurried over to it.

Serena opened the door and in front of her was another girl. The girl had dark skin, brown hair tied into separate tails and green eyes. She was wearing a pink shirt and blue short shorts.

"Shauna, what are you doing here?" Serena asked.

"I was coming over to see if you wanted to go get something to eat! I'm hungry!" Shauna replied.

"Aw, Shauna, I'm tired. You won't believe the day I've had."

"Come on, don't be such a party pooper."

Serena sighed and stood aside to allow Shauna to come inside. She hurried over to the kitchen and started rummaging through the cupboards for some snacks. While Shauna was searching for snacks, Serena went back to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of water.

"Hey you two, have a look at this. Something unbelievable has happened," Grace said as she looked to the kitchen.

"Oh, yeah? Well, something unbelievable has happened to my face!" Serena retorted as she shut the fridge and trudged over to the couch.

Grace turned away sheepishly and took a sip of tea as she looked at the TV again.

"What are we watching?" Shauna asked as she sat beside Serena with a bag of chips.

"What movie is this?" Serena asked as she watched the TV.

"This isn't a movie, it's being shot live from Lumiose City," Grace replied as she turned to them. "A Garchomp is on a rampage."

The three turned to look at the TV and saw a large explosion appear where a purple beam hit the ground.

_"What is going on?"_ Serena thought as she watched the TV.

* * *

**That's the chapter everybody. I hope you enjoyed it and I will see you next time.**


	5. Rampage

**Hey everybody, I'm here with another update for 'Path of the Master'. Thanks again for the continued support. Stay for the end author's note and answers to your statements. Read and review if you are feeling generous. Let's get to it!**

**Last Time: Ash took Froakie to Professor Sycamore's lab and ended up bumping into his last trainer who decided to give Froakie up. While Froakie was recovering, Sycamore introduced Ash to the concept of Mega Evolution and the mystery behind it. Unfortunately Team Rocket heard about it as well and tried to force Garchomp to evolve, but ended up sending him on a wild rampage throughout Lumiose City. Can Ash handle the situation or is he in over his head?**

**Key:**

**Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins**

_**Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions**_

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

Ash, Pikachu and Froakie were running down alley after alley in hot pursuit of Garchomp who was leaping from rooftop to rooftop. They spotted Garchomp leap across another building, all the while charging up another Hyper Beam. Garchomp fired the Hyper Beam and a loud explosion came from a few blocks away. The three of them could see smoke billowing high into the afternoon sky.

"We have to get to the rooftops. We'll be able to get a better picture from there," Ash said to Pikachu and Froakie.

Froakie and Pikachu nodded at Ash's decision and followed him to the end of the alley where there was a fire escape. Ash jumped up and started climbing the metal ladder to the staircase. Once Froakie and Pikachu got up the ladder, they made their way up the stairs and to the roof. They reached the top of the fire escape after their brisk pace and stepped onto the roof. They looked around the city and their eyes went wide with shock. All around the city there were numerous clouds of smoke rising from buildings and a lot of them had been damaged severely. Police and fire sirens filled the city, drowning out all sounds of the afternoon commute.

"Damn-it," Ash muttered as he looked around for Garchomp.

His eyes caught movement to the north and he turned just in time to see Garchomp vanish into a new cloud of smoke that was created by another Hyper Beam. His fists clenched as he tried to determine where Garchomp was heading next and as he looked further in the distance, he made out the Prism Tower. Garchomp would be heading straight for a tourist attraction sight that would easily be crowded with people that would be in harm's way.

"This is not good," Ash said as he ran over to the edge of the roof.

He ran as hard as he could and jumped. He dropped down to the next roof after successfully clearing the gap and rolled across it. At the rate he was moving, Garchomp would reach the Prism Tower way before he would and it would undoubtedly lead to someone getting hurt. Ash's ears perked up as he heard a loudspeaker kick to life and a voice reverberated around the city.

"Attention citizens of Lumiose City, be on the lookout for a rampaging Garchomp! Civil defense advises everyone to clear the streets and seek shelter immediately until the threat has been handled!" A woman's voice informed.

A whooshing noise met Ash's ears as he glanced back to see a helicopter flying after Garchomp. He could see that the helicopter was for a news station that was no doubt trying to film the event as it unfolded.

"Those idiots are going to get killed if they continue chasing Garchomp," Ash said as his hands traced the Poké Ball on his belt.

He did not plan on using the second Pokémon he brought unless it was for a last resort. Now he had no choice but to use him. He wound his arm back and tossed the ball into the air and it opened with a snap. A large form began to take shape and the glow vanished to reveal one of Ash's oldest Pokémon. The Pokémon gave a loud roar after being freed from the confines of the ball and his large wings opened wide, kicking some dust off the ground.

"Charizard, I need your help. Think you can give me a hand?" Ash asked.

Charizard's trademark smirk spread across his face and he gave a nod. He lowered himself down to the roof to allow Ash, Pikachu and Froakie to climb on. The three of them hopped on top of Charizard and he immediately took to the air after they got on. Ash pointed in the direction of the Prism Tower where Garchomp and the helicopter were heading.

"Charizard, get us there as fast as you can!" Ash ordered.

Charizard gave a growl of acknowledgment and shot forward like a bullet. Ash's eyes stung as they flew through the thick clouds of smoke. He glanced down and could see people running all over the streets to seek shelter and towards the tower to see the event up front. Police cruisers soared down the road as sirens wailed loudly as they went to the Prism Tower. With the police now going to the tower to secure the area and get people to safety Ash relaxed a little, but he knew that there was still danger with Garchomp as well as the helicopter following him.

"Charizard, we need to intercept that helicopter, let's go!" Ash barked.

Charizard soared through another cloud of smoke and was quickly closing the gap between them and the helicopter. He flapped his wings again and managed to overtake the helicopter and turned around to block its path. The helicopter slowed down enough to hover in front of Ash and Charizard. Ash knew that verbal warning would not work with the rotors drowning out his voice so he did the next best thing. He tried direct the helicopter to back off and land. He could see the pilot trying to motion him to move out of the way.

"You need to back off! It's too dangerous!" Ash yelled as he continued pointing away with his hand.

The pilot gave up with trying to reason with Ash and tried to go around him, but Charizard quickly moved in front of it. A news reporter leaned out of the door and waved for Ash to move. Ash glared at the reporter and once again pointed away from the tower and tried yelling again.

"I can't let you go through, it's too dangerous!" Ash hollered.

**"Move, kid!"** The female reporter said through the helicopter's megaphone.

Ash shook his head and crossed his arms as he continued his stare down with the reporter. His eyes narrowed when he saw the reporter say something to the pilot who looked a little surprised with what she said.

_"Lady, if you're about to do what I think you are…"_ Ash thought with a glare.

Sure enough, the helicopter charged straight forward at Charizard and it showed no signs of stopping. Not wanting to risk injury to any of his friends, Ash had Charizard dive low to avoid the chopper. The helicopter soared over him and sped to the tower after Garchomp. Ash bared his teeth in anger at the fleeing chopper and clenched his fists.

"You stupid woman," Ash muttered as he had Charizard speed after the chopper again.

In the distance he could see that Garchomp was now standing on one of the outer landings of the tower. He was now desperate to intercept the chopper or try to stop Garchomp's rampage before someone got hurt. As Charizard got closer to the tower, Ash's fear became a reality. He watched in horror as Garchomp charged up another Hyper Beam and fired it straight at the helicopter. The helicopter managed to swerve out of the way to avoid a direct hit, but the Hyper Beam smashed into the tail rotor of the chapter. The helicopter started to spin out of control as smoke poured out from the tail. Screams filled the night as the people at the base of the tower saw the terrifying event unfold.

"Oh no," Ash said under his breath as he watched the helicopter spin out of control.

The helicopter continued spiraling out of control until it vanished in the square. A loud crash met Ash's ears and he could see smoke rising in the square from the crash site. He had Charizard speed into the square and looked down at the helicopter to see that it was burning.

"Charizard, take me down there!" Ash ordered.

Charizard dove to the ground and landed smoothly beside the helicopter. Ash hurried over to the downed aircraft and reached the cockpit to see that the news crew and the pilot were stuck inside. He beckoned for Froakie to hurry over to him to help put out the fire that was spreading towards the fuel tank.

"Froakie, put out that fire while I get them out!" Ash said as he tried tugging on the door.

Froakie nodded and hopped over to the helicopter tail to put out the blaze. While Froakie was doing whatever he could to stop the fire, Pikachu hurried over to Ash to help him with the door. Ash gave a frustrated growl when the door failed to open and it did not help that the crew was starting to panic.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the window!" Ash said as he pointed to the windshield.

Pikachu jumped up and covered his tail with iron and gave a cry as he swung. His tail smashed into the windshield and managed to crack it a little. Pikachu smashed his tail against the window again and the crack became more defined.

"Together," Ash said as he climbed on the nose of the chopper.

Pikachu waited for Ash to get in a more stable position and covered his tail in iron again. He turned to Ash and received a nod.

"On three, buddy," Ash said. "One…two…three!"

Pikachu swung his tail and Ash drove his foot forward. The glass shattered as the windshield gave way, allowing a path of escape for the crew. Ash offered his hand to each member of the team and pulled them out one by one. After he pulled out the female that ignored his warning, he and Pikachu jumped off and ushered them to safety. Froakie hopped over seconds later after he successfully doused the fire that would have destroyed the helicopter.

"Thank you, kid," the pilot said as he held out a hand.

"Don't worry about it," Ash replied as he shook it.

"You're a hero," the camera man said.

"No I'm not," Ash replied as he spared a glance at him. "Let this be a lesson to all of you. When someone gives you a warning, you should heed it."

The crew shifted in shame as Ash reprimanded them for their stupidity. He walked them over to the police line to get keep them from doing anything else. As they got to the police line, the officers immediately pulled them into the crowd to take them to the paramedics.

"Nice work there, kid," an officer said.

"Don't mention it," Ash replied as he waved it aside. "Now, I need you to make sure no one else tries to go past this area."

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to stop Garchomp."

"Kid, as much as I admire your determination, it's too dangerous. I can't allow you to do this."

"Listen, I know how to stop her, but I can only do it if you let me help. Just give me some time and I can take care of it."

The officer crossed his arms and looked up at the tower where Garchomp was roaring loudly in pain. He then looked back at Ash.

"How much time do you need?" The officer asked.

"As much as you can give me," Ash answered.

"Okay, but make it fast. I'm not sure how long I can keep the rest of the police back before they take action."

"Thank you."

* * *

Ash, Pikachu and Froakie hustled back over to Charizard and climbed on. Charizard took to the air and started to fly around the tower to allow Ash time to come up with his plan. He descended to the landing where Garchomp was and allowed Ash, Pikachu and Froakie to jump off.

"Charizard, keep circling the tower and distract Garchomp to allow us to get close," Ash said as he gave him a pat on the head.

Charizard nodded and sped off again and began to make another circuit of the tower. As Charizard prepared to distract Garchomp, Ash led Pikachu and Froakie across the landing carefully to avoid surprising Garchomp. The three of them crept closer to the enraged Pokémon and were ready to avoid any attack that may come at them. Garchomp suddenly turned around and saw them and began to generate another Hyper Beam.

"Watch out!" Ash shouted as he pulled Froakie and Pikachu to the wall just in time.

The Hyper Beam hit the spot where they had stood moments ago and exploded. A large chunk of the landing fell from the tower and to the ground with a thunderous crash. Ash cautiously stuck his head out and could see Garchomp still looking at them and growling. Fighting through his ringing ears, Ash pushed off of the wall and held up a hand as he slowly moved to Garchomp to show he did not mean any harm. Garchomp growled at Ash as he continued to close the distance between them.

"It's okay, Garchomp," Ash said. "I'm here to help, but I need you to calm down."

Garchomp's mouth opened wide and another Hyper Beam started to form. Ash was ready to dodge the attack, but caught a break when Charizard appeared behind Garchomp and swiped at him. Garchomp spun around and swung his claw at Charizard who easily dodged it and flew up the tower. The distraction allowed Ash time to hurry forward to try and get the collar off, but Garchomp suddenly jumped high and latched on to the side of the tower and continued her ascension to the top. Ash cursed under his breath and tried to look for an alternate route to get to the top. His eyes fell on an iron ladder that was built into the tower's side. He hurried over to the tower and had Pikachu and Froakie climb onto his shoulders.

Ash started to climb as fast as he could and ignored the thought of slipping and falling to the ground. Garchomp's safety was all that mattered to him at the moment and that kept him from thinking about the terrible what if scenario. His arms felt like jelly by the time he reached the top of the spire and his legs shook a little as he stood on the landing. Pikachu and Froakie jumped from his shoulders and stood by his side.

"Garchomp, I'm here to help, just hang on!" Ash said as he started to move forward again.

Garchomp turned to Ash and gave another pained growl as the collar continued to hurt him. He roared loudly and opened his mouth as another Hyper Beam started to form. Ash, Pikachu and Froakie dove to the wall and avoided the attack as it exploded behind them. Pikachu got to his feet and growled as sparks started to emit from his red cheeks.

"No, Pikachu, don't attack!" Ash said as he looked down at him.

Pikachu looked up at Ash as if he were crazy. While he did not want to hurt Garchomp, there was no way he was going to let himself, Ash or Froakie to get hurt just because they did not want to hurt Garchomp.

"I appreciate your concern for our safety, buddy, but even if you were to attack Garchomp with an electric attack it wouldn't work," Ash said with a sad smile.

Pikachu, albeit reluctant at Ash's command, stopped his attack. Ash thanked Pikachu and turned back to Garchomp who was still growling menacingly at them. He held up his hand again as he slowly moved to Garchomp.

"I know it hurts, Garchomp," Ash said as he took another step. "We're here to help you. You're our friend. We can only help you if you calm down, so what do you say?"

Garchomp's growls died down for a second and Ash moved forward again, but stopped when Garchomp gave another loud cry of pain as she clutched at her neck. Garchomp was in so much pain that he did not even realize he was starting to stumble dangerously close to the edge of the tower. If he took one more step, he would fall to her demise.

"Garchomp, no!" Ash said as he got ready to run forward.

Froakie jumped high and his hands grabbed the bubbles around his neck and threw them at Garchomp's feet. The bubbles halted Garchomp in her tracks and he started to squirm in pain.

"Nice job, Froakie! Just leave the rest to me!" Ash said as he ran at Garchomp.

Ash jumped on Garchomp and wrapped his arms around her neck and started to pull on the collar. As he continued to tug at the collar, he found it to be futile. It was sealed on tight and there was no way he could pull it off by himself. He shifted his head just in time to avoid another Hyper Beam that shot into the sky.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail on the collar, now!" Ash barked.

Pikachu nodded and charged at Garchomp and jumped. His tail was covered in the strong iron and he swung as hard as he could at Garchomp's neck. There was a loud clang as his tail hit the collar and shattered it. Garchomp stopped flailing and sunk to her knees as the pain faded and exhaustion kicked in. Ash smiled and gently rubbed Garchomp's head.

"There you go, Garchomp. You'll be okay now," Ash said.

Garchomp merely nodded in agreement. Once they realized that Garchomp had calmed down, Pikachu and Froakie hurried over to them. However, before Pikachu got within three feet, part of the landing that was damaged from one of Garchomp's Hyper Beams collapsed out from under him. Pikachu began to plummet to the ground and Ash's mind abandoned all thought. Without hesitation, he jumped headfirst from the tower to intercept Pikachu. He brought his fingers to his mouth and gave a sharp whistle just before he caught Pikachu. Ash flipped them so he would land first and waited patiently. He could hear the cries of the populace below, but they ceased at what happened next. Charizard zoomed in and caught Ash on his back.

"Nice save there, Charizard," Ash praised with a grin. "You okay, Pikachu?"

Pikachu answered with a nod. Charizard landed smoothly to allow Ash and Pikachu to hop off. The two partners sighed in relief as they stood on solid ground again. Out of the corner of his eye, Ash could see Sycamore hurrying over to check on them.

"Are you okay?" Sycamore asked.

"Yeah, we're all okay. Garchomp's back to normal too," Ash replied.

"That was quite the scare you gave with that jump."

"Sorry about that. My body acted on its own."

"Well, what matters is that you are still in one piece."

"Can't argue with that."

Sycamore chuckled and turned his attention to Charizard. He cupped his chin in wonder as he observed him. He could tell that the bond between Ash and Charizard was strong and it both fascinated and impressed him.

"Ash, do you remember out conversation about Mega Evolution?" Sycamore asked.

"Yeah, why?" Ash replied.

"I believe you and Charizard might be able to help me with my research."

"Really?"

"Yes. After witnessing the bond you have with Charizard, I think you are the most suitable person that can help me with this. Once we get Garchomp and Froakie, we can go back to my lab and discuss this further."

"Sounds good."

Sycamore turned around and hurried back over to the police to tell them about Garchomp. Once Sycamore left, Ash turned to Pikachu and let out a light chuckle.

"I hope Mom wasn't watching that. She'd probably fly over here and kill me," Ash said with a laugh.

Pikachu chuckled and nodded in agreement. He then pointed at a horde of reporters coming over to them. They quickly got in their personal space and shoved microphones in front of him. Questions were being thrown at Ash like rapid fire and he felt a little overwhelmed with the sudden attention.

_"This is going to be a long night,"_ Ash thought as he kept answering the questions he was asked.

* * *

Serena, Grace and Shauna were all stunned as they saw what transpired in Lumiose City on the TV. They had been glued to the screen for the past hour, unable to break away. They had seen the Garchomp firing the random Hyper Beams around the city and were shocked when they saw the chopper that was filming the event spin out of control after being hit by an attack. It got even more interesting when they saw the crew being saved by a random trainer and his Pikachu. Although they did not a good look at the trainer's face, they were intrigued with his selfless act to save the news team as well as Garchomp. As the boy climbed the tower, another chopper had taken the place of the first and filmed the event from a safe distance.

Serena continued watching the boy as she watched him bravely risk his life to save Garchomp. She ended up screaming in surprise when she saw him jump off the tower after his Pikachu and was relieved when she saw the trainer's Charizard save him from the fall.

"That was intense," Grace said as she sipped her tea again.

"No kidding," Shauna agreed as she hugged her knees. "That boy must really love Pokémon if he did all of that."

They continued watching the TV and listened as the screen cut to a reporter.

_**"For those who have been watching the chaos taking place here in Lumiose City, you will be happy to know that it has finally ended. There is severe damage in the area, but thankfully, no one has been hurt in this whole ordeal,"**_ the reporter informed. _**"With me now is the young man responsible for saving my crew from our burning helicopter as well as Garchomp."**_

The camera kept cutting in and out from the damage it took, preventing Grace, Serena and Shauna from seeing a clear view of the boy's face. While they were having difficulty trying to see the boy, they heard him speaking.

_**"I am not a hero, really,"**_ the boy replied. _**"I just did what needed to be done."**_

_**"No need to be modest, honey! You are a hero!"**_ The reporter replied.

_**"Seriously, it isn't a big deal."**_

_**"Regardless of what you say, you are a hero in my eyes and a cute one at that!"**_

_**"Uh, thanks, I guess?"**_

_**"So, can I get your name?"**_

_**"My name is…"**_

The camera finally returned to normal to reveal the boy's face, but the sound cut out. Grace and Shauna gave a groan as they did not get the boy's name, but at least they could now see his face. The boy had brown eyes, black hair and a mark on each cheek.

"That reporter is right, he is cute," Shauna said with a light blush. "What do you think, Serena?"

Serena didn't answer her and Shauna turned to her blonde friend. She saw that Serena was now standing up and looking at the screen in disbelief. The look alone told Shauna that Serena recognized the boy on TV from somewhere.

"Serena, are you okay?" Shauna asked.

Serena said nothing as her mouth was open with surprise. When the camera came back to show the boy's face, she was greeted with a surprise. The boy in front of her looked very familiar and she could not help but wonder if the boy was the one she was thinking about. She was mentally cursing the camera's sound for cutting out as it did not catch his name so it could not confirm her thoughts.

_"That boy,"_ Serena thought as she continued staring at the TV. _"It can't be him, can it?"_

"Earth to Serena! Hello!" Shauna said into Serena's ear.

Serena didn't respond as she continued looking at the frozen shot of the boy.

* * *

**That's the chapter everybody! I hope you enjoyed it and the little spin I put on it and Charizard is back. I'll update again when I can, so until then, I leave you with the statements from reviewers. Till next time. -Captain**

******Statements:**

******ultimateCCC: That Garchomp is a girl.**

******My answer: Ah, well, sorry. I fixed it this chapter. I'll be sure to check Bulbapedia for further details next time, but honestly, IDGAF. Not really a big deal if you ask me. Thanks for pointing that out though. **


	6. On The Road Again

**Hey everybody, I'm back with an update for the story here. I know it took a month to get this up, but I'm focused on other stories as well as personal matters, so yeah. Stay tuned for author's statements and answers to reviews at the end. Review if you are feeling generous. Let's get to it.**

**Last Time: Ash, Pikachu and Froakie went in hot pursuit of Garchomp as she went on a rampage. In the process, Ash ended up saving a news crew from their crashed chopper after Garchomp shot it down with Hyper Beam and he saved Garchomp from a terrible fate. Meanwhile, Serena recognizes Ash on TV after the incident finished in Lumiose City.**

**Key:**

**Bold- PA system/Message Bulletins**

_**Bold Italic- Radio/TV/Pokedex descriptions**_

_Italics-Thoughts/Letters/Flashbacks_

* * *

Ash had successfully gotten a long night's rest after having a very eventful day the day before. He was having a mental debate with himself on which journey he started with that had the wildest first day. So far it was a tossup between yesterday and the start of his journey in Sinnoh. He made his way down the hall and towards the main hall of Sycamore's laboratory. As he entered the hall, he could see the damage to the building was still present. The wall on the other side of the room was destroyed from the Garchomp's Hyper Beam. The ceiling had a large hole in it that allowed sunlight to pour through. The glass from the window Garchomp burst from littered the floor and flickered as sunlight shone on it.

There was a small crew of workers cleaning up the mess and preparing to fix the damage done. Ash weaved between the workers and stepped over the debris as he made his way to the opposite hall to head for the main laboratory. He yawned as he turned the corner and entered the laboratory. His entrance gathered the attention of Sophia and Sycamore who were standing in front of Garchomp to check on her. Sycamore beamed at Ash as he turned around and walked over to him.

"Good morning, Ash!" Sycamore greeted.

"Morning," Ash said as he smiled back.

"I trust you slept well last night?"

"Easily. How's Garchomp doing?"

"She's doing a lot better. She should be up and moving around again shortly."

Ash nodded and walked over to Garchomp with Pikachu right beside him. He stopped in front of Garchomp and smiled up at her as he extended his hand and rubbed her head.

"Are you feeling better?" Ash asked as he rubbed her head.

Garchomp answered with a nod and nuzzled Ash's hand as he continued to rub her head. Ash smiled at Garchomp and gave her a final pat before taking his hand off. Sophie nodded at Ash and led Garchomp away to the recovery area. Once Sophie and Garchomp were gone, Sycamore made his way over to Ash.

"I assume you'll be on your way to your first gym then?" Sycamore asked.

"I will be as soon as I register for the Kalos League, yeah," Ash replied.

"I see. Before you go, I want to give you a couple of things."

"The new Pokédex?"

"That's one of the things, yes, but I have something else I want to give you too."

"Okay."

Ash followed Sycamore to a nearby desk and watched as he picked up a familiar red device. The Pokédex looked just a bit bigger than his older models, but the size was most likely to compensate for the data storage required to hold information on all the Pokémon. Sycamore picked up the Pokédex and handed it to Ash. Ash took the electronic encyclopedia from the professor and turned it on. When the device came to life, a photo of ID of Ash popped on the screen. His photo ID shrunk and moved to the corner of the screen to allow his personal information to scroll up. Once Ash confirmed that all the information was true, he closed the Pokedéx and set it in a side pouch on his bag.

"Well, that takes care of that," Ash said as he turned back to Sycamore. "What was that other thing you wanted to give me?"

"Ah, yes. Do you recall our conversation yesterday about Mega Evolution?" Sycamore replied.

"Yeah, I do."

"Well, do you remember that some Pokémon had the potential to have an additional evolution?"

"Yeah."

Sycamore nodded as Ash answered him and opened a drawer to pull out a black box. As he pulled out the box, Ash and Pikachu exchanged looks before looking at the box with curiosity. They were wondering what was inside the box that related to Mega Evolution. Sycamore set the box on the desk and opened it and inside rested a large orange stone. He picked up the stone and handed it to Ash.

Ash looked at the stone and then at Sycamore with a confused look. He reached out and took the stone from Sycamore and looked at it closely. He could not help but stare at the dark stone in fascination. As he held the stone in his hand, Ash felt as though he could feel the power that was exuding from it enter his being. He could tell that this stone had a hidden power inside of it.

"Professor, what is this?" Ash asked as he looked up.

"That is a Mega Stone and it is a major part necessary to make Mega Evolution a possibility," Sycamore replied. "The one you are holding right there is a Charizardite."

Ash's head perked up as he heard the name of the particular Mega Stone he was holding.

"Wait, are you telling me that my Charizard is one of the few Pokémon that can Mega Evolve?" Ash asked as his excitement grew.

"I believe so," Sycamore replied with a nod. "However, like I said about my studies yesterday, I am not particularly sure how the concept works. All I know is that those stones play a key role in the process."

"So, unless you figure out how Mega Evolution works I won't be able to use this?"

"Not entirely. The reason I gave you that is because I want you to help me crack the secret to this unique discovery."

"But how will I be able to do that?"

"I believe that while you go on your journey here you will find the answer, but I do have a hypothesis on how this works."

"What would that be?"

"I believe that in order for Mega Evolution to work, there has to be a significant bond between trainer and Pokémon. What I witnessed yesterday with you and Charizard led me to believe that you two have the potential to unlock the mystery behind it. So, that made you a prime candidate to help me with my study."

As Ash's mind absorbed all the information that Sycamore told him, he looked down at the stone again. He was shocked and excited to learn that Charizard, one of his most loyal Pokémon had the possibility to Mega Evolve. It was ironic that Charizard, his headstrong, most stubborn Pokémon that would not obey a single command he gave a few years ago was capable of going one step further and gaining new power. Now that Charizard was loyal to him and their bond was stronger than ever, they could reach new heights that they would never be capable of. Whenever Charizard would Mega Evolve, he would be on a new tier, far beyond whatever he could reach at the Charicific Valley. Ash pulled out Charizard's ball and held it beside the stone.

_"Charizard… how much stronger can you become?"_ Ash thought as he looked at Charizard's ball and the Charizardite.

Sycamore cleared his throat and Ash snapped back to reality. He tucked Charizard's ball away and placed the stone in his bag. Ash pulled his bag over his shoulders and let Pikachu climb up his arm to rest on his shoulder.

"So, Ash, will you help me?" Sycamore asked.

"I will. You can count on me," Ash said with a smile.

"Excellent! I appreciate your help with this, Ash. This will benefit the both of us if you and Charizard can unlock Mega Evolution."

"We'll unlock it. I promise."

"I like that determination. I have no doubt that you'll be successful."

Ash and Sycamore left the laboratory and made their way back to the main hall. When they entered the hall, they saw that most of the rubble from the damage was cleaned up and the contractors were beginning the maintenance. They continued out of the front doors and into the bright morning light. There was not a single cloud in the sky as the sun shone brightly on the beautiful morning. It was a perfect day to start a journey and Ash was going to make the most of it.

"Ash, I must thank you for everything you have done," Sycamore said as he crossed his arms.

"It's no trouble," Ash replied. "I only did what needed to be done."

"You are quite humble, aren't you?"

Ash shrugged as he rested his hands behind his head. He was a modest person and never really boasted unless he felt like he was in line to. What happened the day before was an average day for him half of the time. After all the encounters he had with Team Rocket, it was not hard to be humble because of the redundancy. Dropping his arms, Ash turned around to leave, but as he waved goodbye to Sycamore he felt something soft collide with his face. Ash jumped back in surprise as he felt the soft substance hit him and disperse. He wiped his face clean and looked down to see Froakie standing in front of him with a Poké Ball beside him.

"Froakie, what are you doing here?" Ash asked.

Froakie said nothing as he looked back at the ball and then nudged it towards Ash expectantly. Sycamore was surprised with Froakie's behavior as a knowing smile came to his face. The disobedient Pokémon finally chose a trainer he found suitable to follow.

"It seems that Froakie wants to go with you," Sycamore said as he uncrossed his arms.

Ash, still surprised with Froakie's actions, knelt before him. He picked up the Poké Ball and looked at Froakie again. Although he was flattered that Froakie wanted to follow him, he wanted to be sure that Froakie truly wanted this.

"Are you sure you want to come along with us, Froakie?" Ash asked. "You still have the chance to make a fresh trainer happy."

Froakie raised a brow at Ash's question before raising his hand and slapping the front of the ball. The ball opened and Froakie was sucked inside and the ball closed. The ball wiggled a few times before it clicked, signaling the capture. Ash blinked and looked at Pikachu, who looked a little surprised, but shrugged it off with a grin.

"I guess that's my answer," Ash said with a laugh.

He stood up and looked at Froakie's ball. A smile came to his face as he looked down at his newest Pokémon. Out of all the Pokémon he caught, Froakie was definitely one of the most interesting captures. He only met Froakie the day before after he intervened with Team Rocket to save Pikachu and they teamed up to stop Garchomp's rampage. They made a great team and that must have been what sealed the deal for Froakie.

"Welcome to the team, Froakie," Ash said before turning to Pikachu. "This is our first friend of the Kalos Region and there will only be more to come."

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed with a nod.

Ash attached Froakie's ball to his belt beside Charizard's and rested his hand on the bill of his hat. He adjusted his hat and turned back to Sycamore.

"Thanks again, professor!" Ash said as he waved goodbye.

"No problem. I'll contact you if I discover anything new about Mega Evolution," Sycamore replied.

"Sounds good! See you later!"

Ash turned around and hurried down the street. Before he went to sleep the night before, he took a look at the map and did some research on where each gym of the Kalos region was located. He found that the first gym was in Santalune City which was roughly fifteen miles away and he could easily get there before nightfall. Instead of riding on Charizard to save time, Ash decided to take the longer road and walk in hopes to find a new Pokémon to catch on the way. Ash's legs carried him around the corner and he continued his run for the large gate that led southeast to Santalune City.

"Let's roll, Pikachu!" Ash said as the two of them ran through the gate and into the countryside.

"Pika!" Pikachu cheered.

* * *

Serena had woken up early after being unable to sleep during the night. After she saw the boy who stopped the rampaging Garchomp in Lumiose City she had been eager to find out if it was the boy she remembered from long ago. If her memory was right, it was the boy she met at Professor Oak's Pokémon Camp almost seven years ago.

_"I have to know if that's him,"_ Serena thought as she knelt by the table.

She stared between two hats that she was deciding to wear on her trip to Lumiose City. As she was trying to make a decision, Fletchling flew through the window and began circling around the room. A knock came from her bedroom door and Serena spared it a glance.

"Come in," Serena answered as she looked at the hats again.

Grace entered the room and looked at her with curiosity.

"Are you going somewhere?" Grace asked.

"Hey, Mom," Serena replied as she held up the two hats she could not decide on. "Which one do you like best?"

Grace, a little thrown off by her daughter's sudden question, cupped her chin as she looked between the two headpieces. After a couple of seconds she pointed to the hat with the white puff-ball on top.

"I'd go with that one," Grace said.

"Okay, this one it is!" Serena said as she put on the opposite hat.

"If you already knew then why did you ask?"

"Whichever one you did not pick is the cuter one, that's why."

"I see…"

Grace clicked her tongue and shook her head. She loved her daughter dearly, but there were times where she would act like a complete smart-alec.

"So, where are you going?" Grace asked.

"Lumiose City! I'm going to see Professor Sycamore and get my very first Pokémon!" Serena replied as she stood up.

Fletchling chirped and landed on her hat. Serena hurried out of the room and down the stairs as she made her way to the front door. She opened the door and rushed into the yard, but came to a grinding halt as she almost crashed into Shauna who stumbled back in surprise.

"Jeez, Serena, be careful! You almost ran into me!" Shauna pouted.

"I'm sorry, Shauna. I'm just in a bit of a hurry," Serena replied.

"Why? Where are you going?"

"I'm going to Lumiose City to see Professor Sycamore and get my first Pokémon."

Shauna looked a little surprised at Serena's answer and then frowned. Her friend was going on a journey and leaving her behind. While Shauna was mulling over Serena's words, Serena walked over to Rhyhorn and knelt to pet him.

"I'll be seeing you, Rhyhorn," Serena said as she gave him one more pat.

"Serena, be careful on your way over there!" Grace called as she stepped into the door.

"I'll be fine, Mom! I'll call you later!"

Serena stood up and ran out of the yard to start her journey to Lumiose City. She waved goodbye to her mother and Shauna as she ran down the road and out of sight. Serena, although she wanted to see the boy she recognized on TV, had a desire to just leave town and see the world. She felt as though nothing interesting happened in town and staying confined in it to just learn Rhyhorn racing was dull and provided no escape. Now that she had a reason to leave Vaniville Town, she would not pass it up. The thought of a journey filled her with aspiration to find what she truly wanted to do with her life.

She reached the top of the hill that overlooked Vaniville Town and stopped. Despite finding her hometown boring, she still had a small place for it deep down as she spent half of her life growing up in it. She decided to take one last look at the quiet town and turned around. Her eyes could see the rooftops of the houses and the familiar clouds of smoke that rose from the bakery.

_"It's time to go,"_ Serena thought as she turned around and took another step.

Serena barely took another stop before she was stopped by someone's voice.

"Serena, wait!"

Serena turned around to see Shauna sprinting up to her. She came to a stop and panted as she tried to regain her breath from her run. Serena was a little surprised to see her childhood friend standing there.

"Shauna, what are you doing here?" Serena asked.

"Why are you leaving?" Shauna asked.

"I just want to get out of town. A kid has to grow up sometime and it's only natural for them to leave home at some point."

"Why do you have to go alone? When we were younger you promised me we would go on a journey together!"

"Shauna, I haven't forgotten my promise to you, but this is something that I need to do. I can't stay here anymore. I have to get out there and find what I want to do with my life. Staying here will only hold me back."

"Fine, then I'm going with you!"

Serena opened her mouth to protest, but Shauna crossed her arms and gave her a firm glare. The look alone told Serena that Shauna's mind was made up and there was no way she would be convinced otherwise. Although Serena initially wanted to go on her own journey to find the boy she saw and to find her purpose, Shauna did bring up a valid point. They did promise to go on a journey together when they were kids and now was the perfect opportunity to do it.

"Okay, if you want to come with me then let's go," Serena said with a smile.

"Great! This is going to be so much fun!" Shauna beamed.

"Are your parents okay with this?"

"I haven't told them yet, but I will when we get to Lumiose City."

"I hope you have something good to back up your reasoning. I know they'll be a little hesitant to let you go on a journey."

"I know, but in the end I think they will be cool with it. Like you said, all kids leave home someday and today just happens to be our turn."

Serena smiled at Shauna before sparing one last glance at Vaniville Town. Seeing enough, Serena turned on her heel and started walking down the road to Lumiose City with Shauna right beside her. The two young girls were heading into the unknown, but were excited with what awaited them at each turn. Whatever they would face, they would do it together like they promised each other years ago.

* * *

The sun was high in the sky as it entered late morning. Ash and Pikachu were enjoying the beautiful weather as they traversed the dirt road along the open grasslands. As they walked, Ash's eyes were catching sight of Pokémon he had seen and a bunch of new ones. He was still surprised with how much diversity there was in Kalos. Unlike Unova, Kalos had Pokémon from all over the world whereas Unova was mainly inhabited by Pokémon of that region. He came to a stop and looked into the field to his right. The field was filled with growing crops, but it still had wild Pokémon wandering through and grazing for food.

As his eyes scanned the field, they fell upon a tiny bird Pokémon. The Pokémon itself was tiny. It would be able to stand on the palm of his hand.

_"What Pokémon is that?"_ Ash thought as he pulled out his Pokédex and pointed it at the Pokémon.

_**"Fletchling, the tiny robin Pokémon. Although Fletchling's chirp is quite beautiful to hear, it is relentlessly tough with those that enter its territory,"**_ Dexter informed.

After hearing the description, Ash looked up at the tiny bird and a smirk came to his lips.

_"Relentlessly tough, eh?"_ Ash thought as he looked at Pikachu. "We can always use more tenacity on our team."

"Pika!" Pikachu agreed with a nod.

"Okay Pikachu, get in there!"

Pikachu jumped from his perch on Ash's shoulder and his cheeks crackled with electricity as he got Fletchling in his sights. He had a clear shot at Fletchling and would be able to score a direct hit on it as soon as Ash gave it a command.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!" Ash hollered.

Pikachu channeled his electricity as it built inside of him and lined up Fletchling in his sights. He jumped high in the air and released all the stored energy in the shape of a large lightning bolt. The bolt sped for Fletchling who managed to catch a glimpse of the attack from the corner of its eye. Fletchling gave a quick flap with its wings and managed to avoid a direct hit with the lightning, but it still came in contact with its wing. Fletchling went stiff as a board and plummeted into the dirt. Taking his chance, Ash plucked a Poké Ball from his belt and hopped the fence and rushed into the prairie. He wound his arm back and threw the ball.

Ash was met with a surprise counter from Fletchling as the ball soared towards it. Fletchling gave the incoming ball a glare and readied its undamaged wing. The wing glowed white for a moment before it was covered in thick steel. There was a loud clang as Fletchling swung its wing and deflected the ball by sending it back. Ash caught the ball in his hand and smirked again. He liked what he saw with the Fletchling and could tell it would be a great Pokémon to have on the team.

_"A first evolution bird with a move like Steel Wing? That's too good to pass up,"_ Ash thought.

He looked down at Pikachu to see an impressed look on his face at Fletchling's reaction. He nodded at Fletchling and Pikachu took the chance to act freely. His communication with Ash was at the point that he did not have to call out an attack and he would be able to execute as needed. Pikachu's body glowed white for a moment before he shot forward in a blur with Quick Attack. As Pikachu charged at Fletchling, Fletchling recovered from the stun and faced Pikachu before flying head-on at him with his beak glowing white. The two of them collided head on and a burst of energy kicked up a cloud of dirt from the ground. When the dirt settled, Pikachu and Fletchling were glaring at each other. Pikachu had a fresh mark on his head while Fletchling looked winded from delivering and taking an attack.

"Pikachu, use Iron Tail!" Ash ordered.

Pikachu diverted power to his tail and it was covered in shiny iron as he sprung in the air. As he descended on Fletchling, Fletchling covered its wing in steel again and gave another swing to match the power. There was a loud clang as steel met steel, but Pikachu had gravity and experience on his side. Pikachu pushed off the wing with his momentum and flipped, swinging his tail once again. His tail smashed on top of Fletchling's head and it went rigid from the hit. Fletchling swayed and fell to the ground in a daze.

"All right, let's try this again!" Ash said as he threw the Poké Ball.

The ball bounced off Flecthling and opened, surrounding Fletchling in a red light and sucking it in. The ball snapped shut and rolled as it landed on the ground. Ash and Pikachu watched the ball wiggle back and forth with anticipation as they waited to see if Fletchling wound break free. The ball gave one last wiggle before it stopped and clicked. Ash smiled and walked over to the ball and picked it up.

"That's our second Kalos friend, Pikachu," Ash said as he looked back at him.

"Pika!" Pikachu cheered as he climbed up to his shoulder.

Ash opened Fletchling's ball and released it to give it some fresh air. Fletchling shook its head as it hovered in front of Ash. It looked between him and Pikachu with some curiosity.

"Hey Fletchling, I'm Ash and this is Pikachu," Ash introduced. "We're your new friends here."

Fletchling gave a happy chirp as it took its perch on Ash's shoulder. Ash clipped Fletchling's ball to his belt and turned around to walk back to the road. As Ash walked back to the road, the sunlight shone brightly and made him shield his eyes. When Ash shielded his eyes, he heard a voice greet him.

"I see you've grown a bit since the last time I saw you, Ash!"

Ash's eyes widened in brief surprise. He knew that voice well, but what was he doing here? He lowered his arm and sure enough, his eyes came into contact with the person who called out to him and he grinned.

"No way," Ash said. "What are you doing here?"

* * *

**Ah, cliffhanger! Who is it that Ash bumped into at the end there? You'll have to wait and find out. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and I will see you all next time. Take a look below for review answers and statements I want to make.**

**Statements:**

**1.) Ash's Kalos team. I will keep his team the way it is in the anime now being Froakie, Fletchling and Pikachu. I will have Ash capture Pokémon that I can see him catching as well as Pokémon that will more than likely balance out his team.**

**Answers to reviews:**

**Charizard Mega Evolution: As you can see in this chapter as well as the hint in the last one with his debut, yes, I plan for that to happen. However, I don't plan on giving him both Mega Stones unless I have a change of heart.**


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